Sled



C. E. FINGER Aug. 29, 1961 SLE Filed March 27, 1959 ATTORNEYS SLED Charles E. Finger, Hickory, NiC., assigner to Hickory Spinners, Inc., Hickory, N.C., a corporation of North Carolina Filed Mar. 27, 1959, Ser. No. 802,422 2 Claims. (Cl. 214-1) This invention generally relates to devices for transporting containers of material from one location to another and more particularly, to a sled wherein the containers to be transported rest on the floor and slide therealong upon movement being imparted to the sled.

The instant invention has been found to be particularly useful for moving cans or containers of textile material, such as sliver or yarn from one location to another. In the operation of a textile mill, particularly yarn mills, cans or containers of sliver have to be constantly transported from one operation to another during the formation of yarn. As an example, one of the first steps in the form-ation of yarn generally involves a carding process wherein laps or webs of textile material are fed into the rear end of carding machines and a sliver or large ropelike strand is taken out the front end thereof and placed in a vcan or container in a predetermined coiled relation. When filled, these containers are dotted or replaced with an empty container. The filled containers are then normally transported to machines known as drawing frames wherein the sliver is further processed and again coiled in similar containers in a similar manner. These filled containers, in turn, have to be transported to the next operation which is normally to the slubbers or roving frames wherein the sliver from the containers is processed .to form roving which is generally considered the rst stage of forming a true yarn.

Presently, as far as is known, all mills transport these containers from one location to another by one of two methods. The first is a manual operation, wherein an employee manually pushes or drags the containers from one location to the desired point. It is apparent that this is a very ineicient manner of transporting containers due to the limitation of the number of containers that an individual can properly manage at one time. Furthermore, and more importantly, in many instances when the containers are being dragged, they tilt forwardly and result in the spilling of the sliver therefrom, thus disturbing the predetermined coiled relation of the sliver and thus interfering with the proper removal of the sliver from the container at the next textile operation. Also, in many instances, foreign particles are intermixed in the spilled sliver during the replacing of it in the container. This of course lowers the quality of the final yarn product.

The second manner of moving containers of sliver from one location to another in a mill involves using a wheeled truck which necessitates the lifting of the containers and placing them on the truck and again lifting the containers to remove the same from the m1ck at the point of destination. It is apparent that since so many spinning mills have gone to the large size containers in order to increase production and efficiency that the lifting of the containers is a menial operation particularly when one considers that the individual assigned to this task usually has todo the same continuously all day long.

With the foregoing background material in mind, it is the primary object of this invention to provide a sled for readily straddling a plurality of containers which are desired to be moved from one location to another and wherein the sled is so constructed that the containers rest on the floor at all times and are moved from one point to another by sliding on their bottoms.

Another object of the invention is to provide a sled for moving containers from one location to another which Patented Aug. 29, 1961 avoids the necessity for manually lifting the containers in order to move the same.

A further object of the invention is to provide a sled for moving containers from one location to another wherein the sled is of open construction so that it completely avoids any necessity for periodically cleaning the same.

It is a still further object of Ithe invention to provide a sled for slidably moving containers kalong the floor from one location to another wherein the sled is so constructed that there is little likelihood of the containers being tilted or falling therefrom.

It is a still further object of the invention to provide a sled for straddling containers and for slidably moving the same from one location to another wherein the sled is so constructed that the same may be readily moved at an abrupt yangle to a normal path of travel with a pivotable-like movement while yet assuring that the containers being moved will not tilt or fall therefrom.

Some of the objects having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which- IFIGURE l is -a plan view of the sled with containers to be moved thereby shown in dotted lines;

lFIGURE 2 is a side elevational view of the sled with the containers to be moved shown in dotted lines and the operational position of the sled when making a pivotable movement or abrupt turn being shown -in phantom lines;

FIGURE- 3 is a rear elevational view looking from the right side of FIGURE 2 with the containers omitted therefrom; and

FIGURE `4 is a perspective view of the sled on reduced scale with parts broken away and the containers to be moved shown in dotted lines.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, reference numeral 10 broadly indicates the entire sled with C indicating tall containers of sliver, for example, to be slidably moved thereby. The sled 10 comprises an openended runner broadly designated by reference number 11 which comprises a pair of spaced-apart, substantially parallel legs ,12 and 13 having upturned front end portions 14 and 15, respectively, on the ends of which are provided resilient members shown in the form of resilient tips or rubber caps 16 and 17, respectively. The legs 12 and 13 have their rear portions connected together by an upturned arcuate portion 18. It is thus apparent that the runner, as shown in the drawings, is formed by the legs 12, 13 and their respective upturned front end portions 14 and 15 and the rear arcuate portion 1S to thus present a substantially U-shaped, open-ended runner. Preferably, the runner 11 is formed from an integral tubular pipe that has been bent, as previously pointed out, to present -the desired runner configuration. More particularly, the tubular construction of the runner gives considerable rigidity thereto and more importantly, in many cases, depending on the oor condition where being used, as for example in a mill, only a small area of the legs 12 and 13 will be in engagement with the oor surface. Further comments will be made later relative to the significance of the upturned front leg portions 14 and 15 and the upturned interconnecting rear portion 18 of the runner 11.

To maintain the containers C in upright position and to prevent the same from tilting or falling out of the sled 10 while the same is being moved, side retaining members 2d and 22 are provided with their lower ends suitably connected, as by welding to a medial front portion'of the legs 12 and 13, respectively, and extending upwardly and rearwardly therefrom with a handle portion 23 suitably connected thereto and preferably extending outwardly and rearwardly from the runner 11, as shown in the drawings. Here again, for ease of fabrication, the side retaining members 21 and 22 and handle portion 23 are preferably Vformed by suitably bending a tubular pipe.

For further aiding in retaining the containers C within the confines of the sled and preventing their tilting or falling therefrom, an upright rear member 24 is provided having its lowerend suitably secured to a medial portion of the upturned end 18 of the runner 11, with the upper end of the member being suitably secured to an arcuate retaining member 25 which, in turn, has its ends suitably secured to the side retaining members 21 and 22.

It should be noted (FIGURES 1 and 2) that the arcuate retaining member 25 is positioned to coincide with the arcuate upturned rear end portion 18 of the runner 11, whereby the arcuate portion 18 serves to engage the lower portion `of the rearmost container C and the arcuate member 25 serves for engaging the upper portion of the rearmost container C. Thus, these two arcuate members 18, 25, in conjunction with the upright rear member 24 and the side retaining members 21, 22, serve to firmly stabilize the rearmost container C whereupon the other containers positioned in front thereof are necessarily better stabilized when the sled is being moved from one location to another.

The upturned rear end 18 of the runner 11, by being spaced -abovethe surface of the floor, permits the sled 10, when empty for example, to be moved about the floor without gathering foreign matter between the legs thereof, as would be the case if the rear end of the runner was in a common horizontal plane with the legs thereof. More importantly, the upturned rear end 18, as shown in the phantom line position of the sled in FIG- URE 2, serves as a pivot point for the sled when it is desired to abruptly change the direction of movement of the sled, as for example, when making a sharp right or left turn. To accomplish this, the operator merely needs to exert a slight downward pressure on the handle 23 which positions the upturned portion 18 in engagement with the floor while lifting the legs 12 and 13 out of engagement with the floor, for thus making it an easy operation for changing the direction of movement of the sled. In this respect, it should also be noted that Ithe movement of the legs 12 and 13 upwardly during this abrupt change of direction of the sled 10, serves to provide additional stability to the containers C, particularly the forwardmost container, since they are being engaged at a higher point. -This avoids the likelihood of the containers 4C tilting or falling from the sled during such abrupt change of direction thereof.

The upturned front portions 14 and 15 of the respective legs facilitate the movement of the sled in operation by readily being able to ride over any unevenness of the Ifloor or any small obstacles in `the path of travel of the sled. The rubber tips 16 and 17 on the ends of `the respective upturned portions 14 and 15 serve to prevent any injury to anybody that might come into contact with the sled during movement thereof and also to prevent any damage to any containers or equipment that might be contacted by the sled.

Although the drawings show the spacing between the legs 12 and 13 corresponding substantially to the diameter of the containers C, which is preferred, it is to be clearly understood that, if desired, the sled may be constructed of a wider width, for example, to transport a double row of containers instead of a single row. Other arrangements of the containers are apparent.

Also, it is apparent that the sled runner 11 may be constructed to reduce the frictional drag or resistance relative to the floor, or have suitable friction reducing means added thereto for accomplishing this purpose.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descriptive sense only and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of the invention being dened in the claims.

I claim:

y 1. A sled for pushing upright containers along the oor from `one location to another comprising an openended substantially U-shaped runner having a pair of spaced-apart legs engageable with the floor and adapted to straddle the containers to be moved while permitting the containers to rest on the oor therebetween, the forward ends of said legs being upturned to facilitate movement of the sled along the oor, an upturned arcuate portion connecting the rear portions of said legs together and adapted to engage a lower portion of the rearmost container when the sled is being moved, means connected to the legs of the runner and extending upwardly and rearwardly therefrom to prevent the containers from tilting out of the sled during movement thereof, arcuate means connected to the upper portion of said last recited means and being positioned in spaced relationship and in vertical alinement with said upturned arcuate portion and serving to engage an upper portion of the rearmost container when the sled is being moved, and hand engageable means connected to said upwardly and rearwardly extending means and extending rearwardly therefrom beyond said runner and serving as a handle for pushing the sled and guiding the same in its path of travel.

2. A sled for pushing upright containers along the oor from one location to another comprising an openended substantially U-shaped runner having a pair of spaced-apart legs engageable with the floor and adapted to straddle the containers to be moved while permitting the containers to rest on the floor therebetween, the forward ends of said legs being upturned to facilitate movement of the sled along the floor, an upturned arcuate portion connecting the rear portions of said legs together and adapted to engage a lower portion of the rearmost container when the sled is being moved, means connected to the legs of the runner and extending upwardly and rearwardly therefrom to prevent the containers from tilting out of the sled during movement thereof, arcuate means connected to the upper portion of the last recited means and being positioned in spaced relationship and in vertical alinement with said upturned arcuate portion and serving to engage an upper portion of the reannost container when the sled is being moved, and hand engageable means formed integral with said upwardly and rearwardly extending means and serving as a handle for pushing the sled and guiding the same in its path of travel, said hand engageable means extending rearwardly beyond said runner and `upwardly above and rearwardly beyond said arcuate means which is adapted to engage an upper portion of the rearmost container whereby the positioning of said hand engageable means permits ready application of a downwardy pressure thereon for moving said upturned arcuate portion downwardly in engagement with the floor for facilitating turning movement of the sled in any desired direction.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,423,732 Pixley July 25, 1922 1,530,148 Whitehead Mar. 17, 1925 2,242,408 Turnham May 20, 1941 2,305,249 Frost Dec. 15, 1942 2,466,475 Planert Apr. 5, 1949 2,635,926 Michalowski Apr. 21, 1953 FOREIGN PATENTS ,Y 169,146 Germany Nov. 18, 1904 

